The long-awaited successor to the popular Bose QuietComfort 35 II has finally been unveiled: The Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700 will cost $400 or £350 and arrive June 30. They’re available for preorder now. Australian pricing isn’t yet available but the UK price converts to about AU$640.
The updated headphones were one of 3 new models that appeared when Bose quietly updated its website on Wednesday, May 29. There are also two new sets of totally wireless earphones: Noise Cancelling Earbuds 700 and the Earbuds 500 (no noise-canceling). The latter are listed as “anticipated” to launch in late 2019 while the Noise Cancelling Earbuds 700 are slated for a 2020 launch.
Bose says the Noise Cancelling Headphones 700 are “much more than a product refresh.” And that’s not surprising given that it’s dropped the QuietComfort brand name and completely redesigned the headphones.
“After years of development, we’re thrilled to introduce Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700,” its website states. “They’re much more than a product refresh — they’re a defining moment in headphone evolution. Smarter and more capable than anything we’ve ever done before, you’re about to see how Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700 will become an indispensable tool for surviving our ever-increasingly hypermobile world.”
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The company says the headphones are “packed with evolved noise-canceling functionality, an unrivaled microphone system and intuitive touch controls.” They’re also enabled with Bose AR, the the company’s audio-augmented reality platform. Both the Noise Cancelling Earbuds 500 and 700 will also support Bose AR. (Both new true wireless models appear to be more compact than the company’s current SoundSport Free true wireless earphones.)
For now, Bose will leave the QuietComfort 35 II in its headphone lineup. Late last year it updated that model with a chip to support Bose AR (any QuietComfort 35 II manufactured after December 2018 is AR-enabled). But I suspect we may see a price drop on the QC35 II, which lists for $350. While $400 is certainly expensive for a headphone — some might argue too expensive — most people would seemingly prefer to pay $50 more for the latest and greatest from Bose and ignore the old model unless it was priced significantly lower.
Bose announced a trio of new headphones today. The company used the opportunity to primarily focus on the dryly named Noise Cancelling Headphones 700, which purport to sport “the biggest leap forward in headphones since the iconic QuietComfort.” A big claim, to be sure, especially given how much that line has come to define the category.
The new headphones apparently use the QuietComfort line as a sort of stepping stone, adding voice control through Google Assistant and Alexa (plus Siri compatibility), along with some additional noise isolation. Per Bose, “Surrounded by competing conversations, rush-hour traffic, and loud subway platforms, they can share their quiet, and not the noise around them — for crystal clear calls to home and work, and unprecedented accuracy from VPAs.”
Honestly, it sounds pretty similar to what companies like Sony have offered for a while with their QC competitors. But Bose has generally done a fine job executing these sorts of products, so I’m willing to give the company the benefit of the doubt that it’s bringing a unique take on this sort of isolation technology.
In a press release, Bose’s Brian Maguire pitches the 700s as a kind of alternative to touchscreens, clearly angling for an AirPod-like always-in voice-control model. “Noise cancelling headphones have always helped us hear better — but we need to be heard better, too. And no mobile device has solved that problem,” he says in the release. “No phone, no headphone, and no combination of the two. But the Bose Noise Cancelling 700 changes that. And we can’t wait for people to experience the difference it makes.”
The 700s will be available June 30 for $399, putting them just north of the QC 35 II. There’s a lot less info about the noise canceling 500 and 700 wireless earbuds — only that they “are super-compact, versatile, and available this year.” More information on those (and images) is promised closer to launch.
Here’s a quick look at the Noise Cancelling Headphones 700 key specs, according to Bose. They do charge via USB-C like the Sony WH-1000XM3 and other new premium noise-canceling headphones. While they’re scheduled to ship on June 30, I should be getting some hands-on time with them next week and will add my early impressions once I give them a try.
Weight: 254g
Over-ear design
New acoustic and electronics package with new digital signal processing
New eight-microphone system
11 levels of noise cancellation
Built-In Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa (one-touch access)
Active EQ Sound Management
Controls on ear cups
Bluetooth range: Up to 33 ft. (10m)
Battery charging time: Up to 2.5 hours
Quick charge time: 15 min for 3.5 hours
Battery life: Up to 20 hours
USB-C charging
Price: $400
Shipping date: June 30
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